Improvement in refrigerators



C. B. SHAW. Refrigerator.

Patented Aug 4"/ INVENTOR t gf/M ATTORNEYS.

N.PErERS. PHDTo-LrYHoGRAFHER. wAsmNGTuN. D CA 'UNITED STATEsPA'rENT OFFICE.

cYnUs B. SHAW, oF---lBRooKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN REFRIGERATORS.

Specilcation forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,783, dated August 19, 1879; application led December 18, 1878.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CYRUs B. SHAW, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Refrigerator, of which the following is a specification.

Figure l is a top view of my improved refrigerator, the covers being removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the saine taken through the line a: Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same taken through the line y y, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

',lhe object of this invention is to furnish improved refrigerators, ice-boxes, ice-houses, &c., which shall be so constructed as to use less ice than refrigerators constructed in the usual way, be 'more easily kept clean and sweet, and be more easily repaired when required, and which shall be simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture, and convenient in use.

The invention consists in bars attached .to racks provided with dovetailed ends fitting into corresponding dovetail notches of capcleats, all as hereinafter described.

A represents the box or case of my improved refrigerator, which may be made plain 'or paneled, as may be desired, and is supported upon short legs B to raise its bottom from the ground aud form space for the drip-pan.

The inner surface of the boXA is lined with slabs C of plaster-of-paris, which are cast and allowed to set in molds of the required shape and size. The lower and side edges of the slabs C are halved to each other to form close joints, and at the same time keep the said slabs in place.

The upper edges of the slabs C are held in place by rabbeted cleats D, which are detachably secured to the inner sides of the upper edges of the box A, so that by detaching the said cleats any or all of the slabs C may be detached and replaced with new ones.

The doorway is surrounded with cleats E, which are rabbeted to receive the edges of the slabs C.

The door F' is lined with a plaster-of-paris slab, C, which is kept in place by rabbeted cleats D, attached to the inner sides of its edges, and the upper one of which is detachable, so that the lining-slab C may be conveniently detached and replaced with. a new one when desired.

To the upper edge of the box A are attached cap-cleats G, the inner edges of which project beyond the inner surfaces of the lining-slabs C to form a seat for the rabbeted edges of the inner cover, H, which is hinged at its rear edge to the rear cap-cleat Gr.

The cover H is lined with a plaster-of-paris slab, C, which is kept in place by rabbeted cleats D. rlhe forward cleat D is detachable, so that the slab C can be readily removed when desired.

'lo the upper sides of the outer parts of the cleats G are attached cap-cleats I, which surround the edges of. the cover H and form a seat for the outer cover, J The cover J is hinged at its rear edge to the rear cap-cleat I, and has ilanges or cleats K attached to its side and front edges to overlap the upper parts of the sides and front of the box A.

In the projecting inner edges of the rear and front cap-cleats Gr are formed dovetailed notches to receive the dovetailed upper ends of the bars L, attached to the rear and front sides of the rack M. The rackM is made rectangular in form and with open-work or skeleton sides and ends, to allow the air cooled by the ice to pass down into the lower part of the box A. The rack M is made with an -open-work or skeleton false bottom, N, at a little distance above the true bottom O, to receive the ice and allow the water from the melting ice to drop to the said true bottom O.

The bottom O has a plaster-of-paris slab, P, placed upon it, which slab is concaved, to adapt it to receive the drip-water and conduct it to the drip-pipe, which passes out through the bottoni or side of the box A in the -usual way, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the ice-rack M, upon the middle part of the false bottom N, is placed a vessel, Q, to serve as a reservoir for water to be cooled for drinking purposes.

The reservoir Q should be made of earthen- Ware or some other material that will not corrode and will not affect the Water, and of such a size as to leave sufficient space between it and the sides of the rack M to receive a suitable supply of' ice.

In the drawings the reservoir Q is represented as being cylindrical in forni; but Iprefer to make it rectangular, as forming het tershaped spaces to receive ice.

In the lower part of the brward side ofthe reservoir Q is formed a hole to receive the faucet R, which passes in through a hole iu the forward side of the box A, so that the cold water can be readily drawn out as required.

With this construction the water in the reservoir Q, will be kept cool, and will be free CYRUS B. SHAW.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. GRAHAM, C. SEDGWICK. 

